Romney Already Selling Access at Inaugural
by Bryan Schott
Apr 17, 2012 | 693 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print

Optics matter, people. Mitt Romney's campaign sent out an email last week offering donors who give $50,000 access to a special "Presidential Inagural retreat."



BuzzFeed got a copy
of the email, offering those who give money to a group called "Romney Victory" an invite to a retreat in California with Romney and access at the Republican National Convention in August. They will also get "preferential treatment" at a retreat surrounding the inauguration.


The copy of the email obtained by BuzzFeed was forwarded by Richard Stormont, a former executive at the Marriott hotel chain, on whose board Romney sat.



Romney already appears to be preparing to open his nascent administration to his top financial supporters, the email from Stormont suggests, and the email contains an unusual combination of promises of access and early measuring of the presidential drapes. It also lays out the cost of other levels of access. At one Georgia fundraiser, for instance, $10,000 is required to "get a photo with Governor Romney."



"This is very important for the future of our country," Stormont wrote prospective donors, urging them "to unify in our efforts to retire President OBAMA in November."



Romney aides didn't immediately respond to an inquiry late Sunday evening about the offer.



Here's the full email:



From: "Richard Stormont"

Date: Apr 15, 2012 3:49 PM

Subject: Governor Romney for President

this is very important for the future of our country. Please read it to the end,.

___

The campaign is now moving into its next phase with the formation of "Romney Victory." This is a joint fundraising committee established between Romney for President, the RNC and a number of battleground fund states. Romney Victory will make it easy for a donor to make one contribution to fund various committees focused on the election. The legal maximum that an individual can donate to Romney Victory is $75,800. The campaign is asking people who are able to make a $50,000 contribution to do so today and become a "Founding Member" of Romney Victory. These donors will be invited to a special retreat with Governor Romney in late June in California and will have preferred status at the first Presidential Inaugural retreat as well as yet to be determined access at the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August.

As for our Georgia efforts, Governor Romney will be returning to Atlanta on June 11th to participate in two Romney Victory fundraising events.

The first event will be a reception which will be 1K per person/2K per couple to attend and 10K per couple to get a photo with Governor Romney. 10K represents a maxed out couple, giving $2500 each to both the primary and general election. Please keep in mind that while we are now accepting general election funds, we are still raising primary dollars. Contributions made to Romney Victory will first go toward the primary election account and then once an individual has reached their $2500 limit, the general election account. We are forming a host committee for this event, asking each host to raise 25K. There will be a private reception for the host committee with the Governor prior to the event.

The second event on the 11th will be a private dinner at a home in Buckhead that is being co-chaired by Tom Bell, Fred Cooper, Bernie Marcus and Jeffrey Sprecher. This dinner will be for "Founding Members" of Romney Victory who contribute 50K.

On April 27th, Spencer Zwick, Governor Romney's national finance chairman, will be in Atlanta to participate in a lunch with the host committee and co-chairs for the June 11th events.

We have two months to make the June 11th events a success and I am confident that we can do it.

We know there have been a number of people who have been standing on the sidelines waiting for a nominee to be selected. It is now clear who the nominee will be and we will be making every effort to reach out to all those who have yet to give as well as those who previously supported another candidate. We now all need to unify in our efforts to retire President OBAMA in November.

Please let me know that you will be participating in this critical phase of the future of our country. I would like to request that you take a moment and reply back to me as soon as possible as to whether you would like to serve on the Host Committee for the June 11th reception and/or if you are interested in participating in the private dinner on June 11th?

The future of our country is at stake.

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